AT frustrated by low entry for junior women championship

ATHLETICS Tanzania(AT) has been disappointed by the low number of regions which have registered for the Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica)-sponsored junior women championship slated for later this year in Dar es Salaam.

Tanzania's athletes prepare to take part in a recent race in Dar es Salaam.

AT secretary general, Wilhelm Gidabuday, said up to yesterday only two mainland regions of Singida and Manyara and all Zanzibar regions have registered for the event scheduled to take place from November 25 to 26.

Each region, the AT official revealed, is supposed to send five athletes and one official to the event.

Jica, as disclosed by him, will pay for the participating athletes' accommodation in Dar es Salaam and winners will be awarded cash prize and others will be offered the opportunity to train in Nagai, Japan.

Gidabuday said AT has contacted the regions to know the latter's grievancies but the reason put by the regions, he revealed, is lame.

He said many regions are complaining of lack of money to send the junior female athletes to Dar es Salaam for the event.

He said the development is worrisome to the growth of athletics among women and it also has potential to put off would be sponsors of the sport.

Gidabuday said AT has, therefore, extended the deadline for registration to November 15.

"We are failing to understand why the regions have not registered for the event which aims at giving girls the chance to excel in athletics," he disclosed.

"It's very surprising that they are saying that they can't afford to raise transport fare for five athletes and one official, the most surprising thing is, the hosts, Dar es Salaam, have not registered for the event."

He said if the regions fail to register for the event, AT,National Sports Council(NSC)and sponsors, Jica, will come up with a common stand and, hopefully, the event will involve the regions that have registered for it.

The event, according to AT,NSC and Jica aims at promoting the sport among women so that Tanzania can produce other top female athletes who can follow the footsteps of Theresia Dismas who brought the first medal to the country in 1964.

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